The Internet is a global system of interconnected computers and computer networks that use a standard Internet protocol suite (e.g., the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP)) to communicate with each other. The Internet of Things (IoT) is based on the idea that everyday objects, not just computers and computer networks, can be readable, recognizable, locatable, addressable, and controllable via an IoT communications network (e.g., an ad-hoc system or the Internet).
A number of market trends are driving development of IoT devices. For example, increasing energy costs are driving governments' strategic investments in smart grids and support for future consumption, such as for electric vehicles and public charging stations. Increasing health care costs and aging populations are driving development for remote/connected health care and fitness services. A technological revolution in the home is driving development for new “smart” services, including consolidation by service providers marketing ‘N’ play (e.g., data, voice, video, security, energy management, etc.) and expanding home networks. Buildings are getting smarter and more convenient as a means to reduce operational costs for enterprise facilities.
There are a number of key applications for the IoT. For example, in the area of smart grids and energy management, utility companies can optimize delivery of energy to homes and businesses while customers can better manage energy usage. In the area of home and building automation, smart homes and buildings can have centralized control over virtually any device or system in the home or office, from appliances to plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) security systems. In the field of asset tracking, enterprises, hospitals, factories, and other large organizations can accurately track the locations of high-value equipment, patients, vehicles, and so on. In the area of health and wellness, doctors can remotely monitor patients' health while people can track the progress of fitness routines.
Some on-boarding solutions for IoT networks require each prospective IoT device to announce itself to the IoT network via a service set identifier (SSID), whereby the SSID for the prospective IoT device appears in a list of WiFi hotspots on an operator's client device. The operator of the client device selects a device from the list of WiFi hotspots via its associated SSID, after which the client devices sends credentials for the IoT network to the selected device. The selected device then uses the IoT network credentials to join the IoT network. Conventionally, the SSID (or hotspot name) for a particular IoT device (e.g., a phone, an appliance such as a lamp or coffee maker, etc.) is preconfigured by a manufacturer of the associated IoT device. This introduces complexity to the on-boarding procedure when devices with the same device-type are present in proximity to the IoT network. For example, the operator's client device may detect eight (8) different lamps and show their associated SSIDs in the list of WiFi hotspots, and the operator may not be able to easily figure out how to correlate the respective lamps to their associated SSIDs in the list of WiFi hotspots.